I have seen this more times than I care to admit. There are many wounded people in the church because of gossipers, who neglect their Bible studies and prayer, creating a social club more like a high school clique than they are a gathering of believers desiring to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth!
If we do not speak up at an injustice or lie told about another person, then we leave the liar with the impression that we approve. It is also true of those who treat people disrespectfully, if no one speaks up then the sheeple in the room think we agree with the antics of those whose purpose is to malign and degrade someone.
Mocking is another form of lying. To mock someone is telling onlookers that this person is not worthy of our respect, dismissing them, pretending they are not there, is another way of demeaning a person.
When we do not defend the innocent, more concerned about being liked by the group, than we are about righteousness, we are as guilty as the perpetrator.
There is an old saying, "if you got caught up with a bad crowd, you are the bad crowd." No one with a righteous heart could stand by and allow disrespect, mocking and lies to continue without challenge.
I have actually seen someone tell a big lie in a group of people, no one spoke up and the liar later told his victim that everyone in the room agreed with him. I found out later that it was not true, but because those who knew it was a lie did not speak up, those who didn't know better, believed the liar. I did not believe the liar because anyone who would do this, just to elevate self, is lacking in character in the first place.
When we do not openly discipline a liar or the disrespectful, by telling the truth, then we are participating in the sin of lying and disrespect ourselves, by our silence.
The liar counts on others being too timid to contend with him, his tactics are many and varied but the goal is the same, to malign and degrade his target. By the time he gets through, the group disperses all go home, there is a question in the minds of all the people, even those who once liked the target, are now distancing themselves.
It is an interesting phenomena, when a lie is told, someone is maligned, the crowd is more interested in staying friends with the liar and the people who support him, than they are in defending the innocent. That is the culture we live in, we bend over backward to protect the people who sin, while throwing the innocent one under the bus. But this should not happen in our worship gatherings because of the love for the brethren that God said we should have.
1 Timothy 5:20 "Them that sin reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear."
1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death."
Titus 1:13 "This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,"
When we are more concerned about maintaining the peace of the social club, then we cannot be concerned about the liar learning not to lie and we cannot be concerned about the heart of the victim.
Proverbs 19:9 "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish."
Proverbs 14:5 "A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies."
Proverbs 13:5 "The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace."
There are many passages that deal with this matter of a false witness and the damage they can do. It would be good to pray for fortitude to be able to handle things openly as they occur.
The excuse that God needs to speak to them, doesn't hold water, since God placed His Holy Spirit in us and we are to allow Him to speak through us using His Holy Word.
When we use the excuse, "just pray for them and remain silent" we are showing that we do not believe what God told us about being indwelt with the Holy Spirit and His work in our hearts, also using us to do His work in another believer's heart.
When we believe a lie about someone without going to them to find their side, then we have chosen to believe the lie, because we like it. If the lie is told in public, then it must be handled in public, so that all that heard the lie, will also hear the victims side.
The devil loves to intimidate people through fear of men, so that the damage can never be repaired.
I once heard a story to illustrate the damage lies can do if not "nipped in the bud." It is like taking a feather pillow to the top of a mountain on a windy day, slitting it open and letting the wind carry the feathers all over the mountain, now go and get back every feather.....it's impossible to retrieve all the feathers.
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